your soul every time is what it is about. >> and for the record will is major animosity between jake shields and frank shamrock, you refuse to sit in on the fighter meeting windshield, a blatant scorn of disrespect. >> and in fact when i did the prefight interviews with jake shields he came right up to me and said tell your commentator partner there shamrock i can beat him in less than one round so obviously, the strikeforce middleweight title at stake right now but something tells me you and him might have to get it on down the line. >> he has to get through big dan, and what i know about dan henderson is a big wall. >> dan henderson, jake shields, shields defended his title and the tale of the tape for our main event is sponsored by geico as we check out the numbers. >> and the must be to look at right now is 37 years old, by man is two years older than i am and the other must be that you don't see, as i saw two days ago he has tw 200 plus pound and dropped a lot of weight to make

185. >> let's take a look at the animated fight simulation. dan henderson wins this fight by crawling and brawling and he knocked out tracy and knock you out with the combination, that knocks everybody out is the left hook right hand combination as he hits jake shields with this, shields will fall. shields on the other hand is all about the wrestling, jake, hernandez on is down and get the reach by kicking and get and kick the legs and the body. >> all right let's go inside the cage for the introduction. this is our main event. here is jimmy lennon, jr. >> ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the bridge stone arena here in the music city where the saturday night fight's main event of the evening. brought to you by strikeforce, cbs and rock star energy drink, bigger, better, faster, stronger, party like a rock star. >> all right, and here we go.

5 five minute round for the strikeforce middleweight championship of the world, and now, ladies and gentlemen, in attendance and mma joining us around the world, live from nashville, it's show time! >> introducing first the challenger, fighting out of the blue corner, one of the most decorated fighters in mma history, free style history and his records stands at 25 wins and seven losses. tonight, making his strikeforce debut, please welcome the two-time u.s. olympian and four-time world champion, dan henderson! and in the red corner, a world renowned

virtuoso of wrestling and jujitsu his record stands and 24 wins, four losses and one draw, including 13 straight victories, tonight, making the first defense of his title, please welcome the strikeforce world middleweight champion, jake shields! and the referee in charge, now to give instructions, big john mccarthy. >> all right, gentlemen. strikeforce middleweight champs, protect yourselves at all times. fight a clean fight, hard fight, fair, step on back. >> jake shields, defending his title against a legend, 39-year-old dan henderson. jake, no freebies i want to take on the best and he is getting a shot now. dan henderson with an incredible

right hand. he is having some back problems as of late. here we go. >> are you ready? are you ready? let's get it on! >> you can see on your screen the jake shields has done, obviously improved his strength and his size. he always has had flexibility is one of his weaknesses. henderson has that right hand clocked, folks. shields backing up, oh, he is down! he is down! the big right hand lands for henderson and he is on top of jake shields. first punch, and that is the right hand, that shields has ever been in but look how he rebound he has to get in or get out. put your hands on -- shields has recovered quickly and has to get his leg free here. >> jake healed is going to try to hold and get behind him.

>> shields holding on, trying to clear his head after taking a huge right hand from henderson. as you mentioned against brazilian jujitsu black belt and that, jake healed is always talking about was nonexistence, he got a drop in one shot. shields with an opportunity to find himself. has now reached down deep when he knows he is facing the man that has lightning in that right hand. >> he is facing it and he didn't like it. >> another right hand by henderson, backs up shields, wow. >> shields is doing a good job of keeping clean tight stand-up, dropping the job, and answering,

he is playing the right game, and another right hand, that time missed. the second one through. henderson, pressure on him and shields falls to his back. he has an opportunity to clear. and the crowd loving every second of it. shields upper cut, henderson, pow, pow, shields in the boston trouble in his career against dan henderson. >> and this is where he knocked out -- this is where shields cannot hang out. with that arm. jake shields, you see fear for the first time in the champion's eyes against this old bull, with 223 to go in the first round! >> look at his face. deploring him to shoot. i don't know. the takedown defense of dan

henderson, a known wrestler two, time olympian, he has to keep that left hand up, he has got to keep the left hand up:and he is head-hunting. holding him at arm's-length. right now connecting on a 50 percent, 17 of 34. the majority of those powerful right hands to that found their target. >> right now this is a good position for jake as he rise to clear the cobwebs. he has been knocked down hard twice in this first round. >> yeah he is not going to get an advantage on dan. but he has a chance to rest and he henderson two-time olympic wrestler. '92 and knicks sin. '96. .. >> with the right hand, the can opener, it is monstrous. jake shields not fighting his fight. he is standing up and shooting.

he can't get in. he cannot get in on dan henderson. but you know what? after what we have seen so far tonight i have to respect jake shields and there we go with the touchdown. there we go. fight your fight but henderson somehow gets to his feet. brilliant. shields is deep on that takedown and this is dan henderson. >> and 6:30 seconds to go. shields is giving -- this is dan henderson strength. >> dan henderson can take it to japan and go on to defeat the japanese champion. and a legendary fighter, showing that legendary skill so far here tonight. >> jake shields 20 seconds away from getting out of the first round, and kudos to him for that, showing his championship counsel. >> dan henderson a man jake

shields grew up idolizing. >> he says that henderson was one of the fighters that led him to getting into mixed martial arts. there is an elbow, missing and shields missing at the end with a short, connects at the end with a short left hook. so what an impressive by dan henderson in his first round as a strikeforce fighter. >> he said he was going to do it and he did. he came right out and dropped that bomb. it was a quick one and literally he was falling headfirst to the canvas, i thought dan might have been able to finish him here. later on as it went dan using the hip and usually holding him in range, short upper cut, short right hand, great shot, great positioning by dan henderson. i know about the personal animosity but you are a professional, the way he took those punches, he did survive the round. >> he did survive the round. >> he did get out of it. >> and look he also is figuring out a little gamesmanship and he got a single leg takedown and

got his position. shields is getting his game on if he can get out of the big shot and get his confidence back he will be in this game. >> but as you mentioned, this is going to become a time where jake shields has to bare his soul and put everything on the line and not fight safe. >> no he has to reach inside. because if he does i will be his fan. >> let's get it on. >> here comes jake and dan henderson, round 2, scheduled for five. for the middleweight strikeforce title. >> good jab by jake shields and dan is not really blocking he is trying to waiting for power to blast him. >> now shields shooting nice takedown defense, shields goes for it again. and wraps up the big left. >> he still is working the corner. he is going to get crucified here if he is not careful. dan henderson telling us he wasn't worried about being submitted by jake shields based

on the experience that he had fighting in japan and fighting in the usc against the best in the world. now shields on his back and henderson going for the rear -- he could get -- >> i didn't know i was that was going to work after all henderson only won one fight i havhave via submission it may ba mistake going for that hold and losing submission and the submission is a neothe rib, so i don't know if shields has the right toolbox to be submitted. i know dan has a lot of experience on the ground with grapplers and one of the things i don't like is he hangs out in bad positions. >> wow. jake shields with the -- as he and got the side control and now on top of henderson. what can you do from this position? he is doing it right now and elbow the spine i tell you how jake shields leg will feel in three minutes. the other thing, to keep from getting hit and allows you to

get points. dan henderson knows what he is doing he just can't hang out here. now henderson it is trouble. jake shields using his jujitsu, henderson trying to bump up now jake shields with his hooks in. shields, submission, a rear naked choke. so definitely henderson does not want to give up the fact he needs to explode and he needs to rock 'n' roll here. remember silva stopped dan henderson via a choke in the second round. >> now henderson trying to roll. and he is finding out the stick kins of jake shields. he needs to maintain position and ride. henderson wants to get to his field, jake shields is having none of it.

now jake getting more confidence with the fight on the ground. 2:15 to go. >> after the first bout, henderson does henderson give this round away? >> i think against the champion he doesn't give anything away. >> he had him, he should have finished it when he had the chance. shields coming back in very impressive fashion, taking the fight to him. but owe know what, henderson did tell him, he expected to be on his back a couple of times in this fight. >> and he is getting fed up here. >> jake shields he really puts energy into this position. and he is scooting even further up. >> this is something i was worried about for dan henderson. >> he has to be more active here. >> jake healed is putting him

out. henderson has a tendency to hang out here and get their arms while on him. jake shields raining down punches. and utilizing the new strength to his advantage, controlling henderson on the ground. and henderson with no answers here for jake shields, who has been on top for two minutes. henderson to afraid to give up his back, what do you do when you on your back and mounted by your opponent. >> a couple of things to do is turnaround and put your feet on the came and bridge off the cage. you can do everything but but what henderson is doing which is laying there. >> round two. five, five minute rounds for the middleweight for the championship. jake shields was knocked out twice in the first round. and the champion on top, and dan henderson has run into a jujitsu

in the second round, he is on his back. and hammers, shields trying to answer, ten seconds to go. great confidence building round for the young young champion. 31-year-old jake shields. >> great round by shields. jake got out of trouble here by working hard on the position, he kind of kept that leg grab and i thought he was going to get choked but he was really starting to advance the spin around and keep the legs all the way around and a dominant position here. a change in the fight i thought when he got on top. >> look right there the these are too high in my opinion and dan is letting him advance way too high and sitting on his

chest and controlling him. >> so dan henderson seeing the brilliance of jake and his jujitsu in the second round, started doing what he does best and that is get to the matt. >> get to the matt and holding him down and that is what i saw with dan, getting fatigue. >> and people questioned shields striking 78 of 123 compared to henderson's 13 of 23. you talk about a reversal of fortunes, round one henderson, round two, shields. >> remember, henderson lost as much as 15 to 18 pounds in the last couple of days to make weight for this fight. >> he has competed at both 185 and 205 pounds. >> henderson, has to stop messing around with jake and hammer. >> great advice. >> easier said than done.

>> >> with ticket radio hand, with the right hand, not carrying through with the jab. and lets jake hold the first position. >> and there is a single leg by jake shields. and a good setup with the jab. get dan to lift his hands a little by to drive into the attack. >> now, grappling, nice sprawl as you mentioned there. >> one thing about henderson and you beat him in less than a minute in a wrestling match years ago but he is strong as a bull. >> he is the strongest guy. randy, everybody, dan henderson is a bull of muscle. >> wow. >> and tags and picked apart by shields. shields a quick jab. sets up the left. good jab. >> nice and he steps over. domination, a beautiful throw.

and now shields has him over. and has his head covered. >> shields doing a great job of positioning. now dan henderson pulling shields. he loves this position. he is so dangerous right here. yes. from the top position, and he really is persistent on tagging him. sticks to the course, get position, get him down and finish him off. >> three minutes, shields, three minutes. here comes that guard, the whole body up in the air to do it. >> a tough spot for henderson. >> seems like a lifetime ago when henderson a got shields with the right hand. now he is inside position.

>> let's see what he goes for. like time -- last time he quickly dismounted. he tried to isolate an arm. a lot of options here, knees and shields corner asking for the knee strike now. >> henderson moving. now shields you know what is funny, technically, on his back dan henderson has been trained by jujitsu guys so technically what he knows on his back is jujitsu and a fine jujitsu practitioner. >> henderson not using his hips to get out of there, creating space and maybe to get back in the seat. >> shields not allowing him to. >> shields is getting very close, laying his weight across his chest, using sure shots and

trying to pin the arm forearm and expose the submission hold. he needs to utilize the wall, because shields is doing a great job of controlling him here. >> that is where the fight seems to be going. shields ready to -- >> a slide through. come on let's go. let's go. >> get up. come on. let's finish. >> the hook. that is a position dan should not be letting himself get into. coming right behind it. oh, my goodness. shields just couldn't hold on as henderson, shields these it out, knees he won three fights via guillotine. >> shields mounted, henderson again back-to-back rounds, he

has gotten a dominant position. he wants to get his knee in the armpit and -- >> kicking and up against shields. >> shields now can take his time and take his shots. >> scoring valuable points here, guys. important points indeed after being down twice in the opening round and to come back to take both the second and third round and he goes for the -- >> dan is going to stack him up and trying to grab his head. said by the bell. so dan henderson getting more than he bargained for herschel walker not only did he win the heisman trophy, one of the great running backs in nfl history but also a practicing and

professional mixed martial arts artist. >> gilbert melendez, nick diaz, his training partner, his brother, in the corner. with jake shield, with confidence right now, could be storied after being dropped twice in the first round, he has dominated the last two rounds. >> he has and to get off the canvas like that, and showing a bit of his soul. >> yes, he is. >> round four. and henderson with a kick.

looks like he was going for the haihail mary right, right now it seems like that's all he has going for him. >> the left hook landed a second ago and i thought the left hook would be a factor, once shields started running from the left hand. >> shields takes him down again but he scrambles. a reversal there. get on the inside. >> shields holding on. shields standing. smart fighter. >> he knows how to do what he does best, and rarely will you see him out of pocket. trying things that could get him in compromising situations. >> exactly. he knows what is at stake here, who he is up against, fighting a masterful fight right now and again, being down points but it is all now jake shields. >> shields andñr henderson

interesting. dan has a lock on his hip, stopping him from advancing position and a lock on his arm, losing position. now henderson trying to get to his knees. here comes the scramble. jake has the leg and the, nice takedown. henderson has looked like a 39-year-old on his back tonight. he told us when we met with him he had been having some back problems for years but he is very stiff, the way he was moving in our meeting. on top of that, he had to drop between 15 and 18 pounds. that takes a lot of explosion from you. because what you bring out in electrolytes and minerals and that is what fires in your body. >> again let's not a take anything away be the performance of the champion jake shields, now in a cross-eyed position. >> really put his game on, he is fighting here in great position.

slowly advancing back into the mount. >> shields at half guard trying to break out, if he does, mounts him h is the third straight round he has mounted dan henderson. and for a guy who said he didn't mind being on his back, i think dan henderson has been on his back way more than he would like. >> a nice attempt. gets the hips over and gets right back inside and look at that straight arm he is pulling off right here. >> this could be serious trouble for dan. >> he submitted -- >> two minutes to go in the fourth round scheduled for five. for the middleweight championship, jake shields the champion on top. dan henderson, the veteran, the

legend, on his back. now shields ground and pound. shields shaking off the nervousness in the first round, back to the hold again. the control of dan henderson has been amazing. henderson unable to do almost anything off his back. look at this. beautiful, stepped right over to the mound and so tight on dan henderson. jake shields overlooked, undervalued, they bring a man like dan henderson into strikeforce and immediately throw up against jake shields in his first title defense. there is no doubt about it, someone sending a message saying you have to fight somebody even

tougher than you have ever faced and jake acknowledging that fact. he said i don't want any freebie. i want to fight the best. >> he almost got henderson's back. let's not forget shields used to fighting at 170-pound and came up to middleweight looking for the big fight. defeated jason miller. >> for the title. now taking a beating on dan henderson. he is really doing work on henderson, the fans appreciative but jake shields with 13 seconds to go in the round. the fight delivered some damage with those strikes. putting on a jujitsu wrestling clinic and dan henderson has no answers for it in the last three rounds. so the stars are out there, former heisman trophy winner from the ohio state university, and former tennessee titan eddie

george, running back,. it was all about the scramble. look at jake keeping on that pass, bringing the knee across, being patient, being confident, being careful, once he was there, he just was dominant, dom manhattan in the mount position. you see it again here, but staying close and staying tight, and constantly driving that right knee through on a slideover into the mount. >> this is a position where he does the damage and totalling dominating dan henderson from the mount position. that is what the refs see. not hard shots but consistent damage, in control, and in a dominant position. henderson and shields meet in the center of the cage.

here we go. three rounds to one for the defending champion. i do too. >> jake shields has been incredible. but can he keep it up. >> dan needs a knockout. >> henderson looks tired, breathing out of his mouth. the big right hand now a telegraph. >> shields very he very relaxed keeping his guard up high. >> jab, left hand. the block. the right. >> sometimes they say in a fight you can get old overnight. >> yeah, you can. and that can happen in just one fight and i think shields is using, striking, the right way to set up the takedown. we have seen a much improvement in jake shield on his feet. >> another takedown by shields and he is running away with this right now. >> i can say one think about jake shields striking it has

been stiff but having effective in striking first, jamming first. >> shields, side control, now using his knees, he has mounted the last three rounds after being stopped and he dropped in the first two and now mounts him again. too easy for jake shields. >> dan henderson with no answers for this great brazilian jujitsu. and now how about cesar grace situate, jake shields strikeforce, middleweight champion, nick diaz, strikeforce welterweight champion, gilbert melendez, strikeforce lightweight champion and now what a promotion. >> three minutes to go.

in this middleweight championship fight. a choke attempt here by jake shields. tag behind the elbow or had it. >> his control has been amazing, again smartly putting on that muscle, the strength has not been a factor, if thinking he has been the stronger of the two athletes tonight. >> let's go. the instructions from referee big john mccarthy. >> come on. work to the finish. let's go. >> shields now going for the it looks like he is trying to set up -- >> beautiful, beautiful work by jake shields. >> championship work by jake shields.

>> disrespected, again, the full mount. now he scoots up and gets under the armpit, henderson, has, there is really nowhere to go. he has been dominating as dominated as you say by jake shields, what a performance. we have got to give this guy -- he has incredible skill. moving up to 185-pound and taking on a legend like dan henderson who has campaigned as high as 205 pounds. this is absolutely surgical, methodical, jake shields fighting the perfect fight. lawal was supposed to beat him, he was thrown in the came and immediately to defeat him and jake shields what did he do? he said, okay. i will fight you. and now he is trying to put his own exclamation person on it. a choke again. if he can get his body to the side, if shields can move his body to the side of henderson

this is a dangerous, dangerous hold. >> nine of his test submission wins have come via the form of the choke. 47 seconds to go. >> and now trying to get back. incredible. and henderson turns into it. 33 seconds to go. jake shields dominating. jake shields, brilliant performance. and to talk about that first round where we thought it was over. he lost it. i think there is perspiration and sweat. he got a knee going. he got him into the knee bar. >> wow. five seconds. the fight goes the distance. incredible. jake shields runs away with the

last full round and that is it. jake shields wonderful performance tonight. and he will retain his middleweightçó championship. >> already celebrating, the think the results and the decision is academic. i mean this is absolutely amazing when you look at the final strike statistics, jake shields of all people, 232 out of 380 strikes and look at the dominant position. i mean, unbelievable. i have to give jake shields all the credit in the world. this kid came out, bears his show and showed his heart to be a legend, i am a jake shields